The NBA trade deadline for this season passed months ago and saw the Los Angeles Lakers change the course of their franchise by trading Russell Westbrook and a pick to get 3 valuable rotational players.
The new players are better fits for the Lakers and have been excelling, unlike Russ, who never meshed on the court with the squad. An NBA scout believes it was silly for the Lakers to try and make Russ fit a 3-and-D mold from the start.
“Asking Russ to be a 3-and-D guy is like asking Wilt [Chamberlain] to be a point guard.” (h/t Lakers Daily)
Westbrook has been a far better fit for the Los Angeles Clippers, thriving in a system where he’s surrounded by shooters. While Russ can’t necessarily score at even a league-average rate now, he has been doing a great job in terms of being a half-court creator and floor-setter for the Clippers roster.
The Lakers Never Would’ve Used Russell Westbrook Properly
The Los Angeles Lakers traded away most of their 3-and-D depth in 2021 when they acquired Westbrook in a trade that still feels like a shocking move for the squad. The Lakers didn’t have shooters left and expected Russ and LeBron James to play off of each other, despite Russ’s poor off-ball skills and lack of a consistent jumper.
Westbrook averaged 17.4 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.9 rebounds in 130 games during his time with the Lakers. While there were some high points, the majority of Westbrook’s time was surrounded by fans booing or mocking him for his poor performances. Now, Westbrook will face the Lakers tomorrow night and could essentially be responsible for ending the Lakers’ push for the 6th seed if he can lead his team to a win.
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